About the Author

Terry Defoe

Educated at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia (BA, Sociology, 1978), Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon Saskatchewan (M.Div., 1982), and the Open Learning University, Burnaby British Columbia (BA, Psychology, 2003). Defoe served as a chaplain at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. Terry has been interested in the science / faith dialog for more than 30 years. His intellectual journey has taken him from young earth creationism to an evolutionary perspective.

Shortly after he retired, Terry published Evolving Certainties: Resolving Conflict at the Intersection of Faith and Science which received endorsements from scientists affiliated with the BioLogos Association, including a foreword from its first president, biologist Darrel Falk of Point Loma University in San Diego, as well as scientists holding membership in the American Scientific Affiliation, a group Defoe joined in 2019. Recent research shows that many young people consider the evangelical church to be out of touch with scientific reality.

Enhancing scientific literacy among evangelicals is, in Defoe's opinion, critically important. Re-establishing trust between science and religion is extremely important in today's highly polarized world. Defoe believes it is time to bring these discussions out into the open, and through a process of respectful conversation, raise awareness and hopefully, in the long run, increase acceptance of scientific expertise among conservative people of faith.

About the Book

Evolving Certainties: Resolving Conflict at the Intersection of Faith and Science

Evolving Certainties by Terry Frederick Defoe is a thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between faith and science. In this book, Defoe delves into the complex and often contentious topic of evolution and its impact on religious beliefs.

Here are some key points from the book.

1. Science and Theology: Defoe examines whether science should influence theology. He grapples with questions like this. Is the Bible the book of science as well as spiritual truths? These questions have been particularly controversial among people of faith.

2. Scientific Discoveries: The book reviews major scientific discoveries since the scientific revolution. These discoveries directly impact traditional interpretations of the Bible's creation accounts. For example, Nicolaus Copernicus's proposal that the Earth orbits the Sun set off alarm bells in the 16th century. Similarly, Charles Darwin's work in the 19th century challenged existing beliefs.

3. Evolution and Faith: Defoe argues that God may have used evolutionary processes to accomplish ongoing creative activity. Rather than challenging faith, evolutionary science has the potential to enhance it. As humanity uncovers evidence from disciplines like cosmology, geology, and biology, we gain insights into God's creative activity.

4. Hermeneutics: Correctly understanding the Bible's accounts of origins is primarily a hermeneutical task. By interpreting the Bible text accurately, we can reconcile scientific evidence with faith.

Evolving Certainties invites readers to explore the intersection of faith and science, encouraging a deeper understanding of both.